Name: California Agriculture Publisher: Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the
University of California Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Agricultural industry Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Division of Agriculture and Natural
Resources of the University of California ISSN:0008-0845

Growing up in West Philadelphia, the son of an electrician, I never
had much occasion to encounter farm life. Our meat and potatoes came
from the grocery store and our vegetables from the frozen food aisle. So
one of the great privileges I have enjoyed as president of the
University of California is learning about my adopted state's
diverse agriculture industry and the amazing bounty it produces.

Having previously served as president of another land-grant college
system, the University of Minnesota, I was no stranger to agriculture
when I moved here in 2008. But I quickly found that nothing compares to
California's agricultural legacy and the forward-thinking
leadership of its farmers and ranchers. As UC president I meet regularly
with the Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources. I
have had the opportunity to visit Central Valley farming communities,
taste-test a new UC Davis olive oil blend, learn more about
almond-growing than any of my city friends could imagine and even get a
lesson in lettuce harvesting in the Salinas Valley.

As I have traveled through the state on these eye-opening
excursions, I have been reminded many times of the critical contribution
agriculture makes to the California economy and the prominent role our
university plays in that industry. Whether you're a backyard
gardener, a 4-H student, a small family farmer or a major national food
producer, chances are what you raise has in some way benefitted from UC
innovation and collaboration.

To name just a few examples, about 40% of the strawberries grown in
the world come from UC-developed varieties.

UC Davis certifies 95% of the grapevines sold in California,
providing our wine industry with a reliable supply of vines. I have even
learned that canned fruit cocktail originated at UC when in the 1930s
food science pioneer William Vere Cruess came up with a way to keep
fruit from going to waste.

Long-standing partnership

From the hundreds of varieties of crops developed to methods of
cultivation, irrigation, animal husbandry, pest control, processing and
packaging -- it is evident that the agriculture industry's long
partnership with the university has been a profitable and mutually
beneficial one.

Indeed, I would go as far as to say that UC might not have evolved
into the world's greatest public university system nor would
California agriculture have grown into the $37.5 billion
industry it is today if we hadn't teamed up nearly 150 years
ago.

The catalyst for that partnership was, of course, the Morrill
Land-Grant College Act, signed into law by Abraham Lincoln on July 2,
1862. This issue of California Agriculture celebrates the 150th
anniversary of that landmark legislation in recognition of the impact it
had on the future of California, our university and our nation (see
pages 42- 49).

It was the early days of the Civil War when Lincoln signed the law
introduced by Vermont Congressman Justin Smith Morrill. The law granted
federal land for states to fund colleges teaching agriculture and
'the mechanic arts.' At the time, our country was being split
apart, yet Lincoln had the foresight to envision a future of peace and
prosperity in a nation united and populated by an educated
citizenry.

Farmers' legislation

The Morrill Act was part of a slate of so-called 'farmers'
legislation' Lincoln signed that year. Included were the laws that
created the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Homestead Act, which
granted plots of land in the West for settlers to farm. He also signed
the Pacific Railway Act, which cleared the way to build the
transcontinental rail-road. You can debate the politics that influenced
the creation of these laws and some of the unintended consequences, but
there is no question they collectively transformed our country.

With trains connecting East and West, settlers could travel with
relative ease to the Western frontier. They could also transport the
products of their farming endeavors to markets across the continent.

The railroad opened access to California's fertile valleys,
teeming rivers and rich natural resources for a new crop of pioneer
families. The Morrill Act opened access to learning for their children
and for future generations who might otherwise never have had the
opportunity to earn an education.

The nationwide university access the Morrill Act provided was
certainly a game-changer in social mobility and economic prosperity.
Just as important was the Act's intention to apply scientific
research to farming methods and resource stewardship.

Science and agriculture

UC embraced those intentions with a deep and passionate commitment.
From humble beginnings at the campus in Berkeley, the University Farm at
Davis and the Citrus Experiment Station at Riverside, UC dedicated its
resources and knowledge to improving the quality of life and health of
all Californians. Nowhere is that dedication so evident as in the
mission of the university's Division of Agriculture and Natural
Resources. Working side-by-side with California farmers, thousands of UC
researchers and educators toil every day to solve the problems of modern
agriculture and resource preservation.

The challenges we face together today are far more complex than
those California farmers faced in the 19th century. Today we deal with
issues like climate change, exotic invasive pests, food security,
nutrition and childhood obesity, to name a few. But no matter how
daunting the challenges might seem, UC is on the ground in every county
-- advising, educating and searching for solutions. True to the Morrill
Act's philosophy of melding science and agriculture, UC brings to
the table the most visionary, industry-transformative research
methods.

In just this one issue of California Agriculture, you will find
several examples of how UC research works for our state's
producers.

One article details the impressive yield increases for corn and
tomatoes achieved during an 11-year field study of conservation tillage
(see page 55). This cultivation method, which forgoes tilling and leaves
residue from the previous crop on the ground, has the potential to
reduce soil water evaporation losses in summer by about 4 inches, or
13%.

Eugene W. Hilgard, a German-American soil scientist, became
professor and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station in 1875.
During his 30-year tenure, Hilgard established UC as a respected center
of agricultural research and guided the college to transfer knowledge
statewide via field stations and farmer institutes. Hilgard Hall,
dedicated in 1917, currently houses the College of Natural Resources at
UC Berkeley. [Graphic omitted]

You can read about why dry matter and fruit acidity should be
considered as a quality index for kiwifruit (see page 70), while another
article analyzes recent trends in genetic engineering of fruit and nut
trees, and suggests that transgrafting may be a promising approach for
utilizing biotechnology to address both grower and consumer needs (see
page 62).

This is the type of research that ultimately benefits every consumer
by increasing the variety and quality of food, keeping supermarket
prices down, meeting environmental challenges, promoting nutrition and
food safety and contributing to the productivity of one of the
state's most important economic engines. Of course, California
agriculture has impacts far beyond the borders of our state: The whole
world depends on the bounty of California's fields and orchards. UC
is proud to contribute the scientific and technological expertise that
helped the state's producers become world leaders in the global
marketplace.

Despite the budget challenges the university has faced in recent
years, our commitment to a healthy and sustainable California
agriculture industry is as strong as ever. That partnership we forged
nearly a century and a half ago is truly a fundamental cornerstone of
California society. We at the university, through the leadership of ANR,
look forward to building upon it for many years to come.